I scored a couple of downhill skiing helmets and a pair of cross country ski boots for G. at Goodwill this week. It's hit or miss at second-hand stores for me in finding the gear we need for our various sports interests. New equipment is simply not in our family budget so I'm always (even in summer) on the lookout for winter sports equipment, the most priciest activities for us.

My friend Meg has great luck buying quality ice skates on e-Bay but every time I bid on a pair (not often I admit), I never "win" them (or they go beyond the price of buying them new so I stop bidding). But then one day I found a pair of Glacier skates at Goodwill - in L.'s current size - right after her big fall on the ice with her poor-quality skates. I celebrated for a week about that find (Glaciers are approx. $55 new and I got them for $3.99).

After comparing notes with Meg and other friends, we determined the best way to get used sports equipment for kids is to be diligent with the used sources you have the best luck with. Unless you're always checking in the store or online, you aren't necessarily going to find what you need at the price you want to pay. The other key point with online bidding is knowing how much the gear costs new and that you figure shipping into the overall cost.

And yes I agree, buying used gear can be a time-consuming!

At the moment I'm on a serious mission to find quality downhill ski boots for G. (and possibly new skis). She wears a woman's shoe size and adult gear is much pricier. I'm looking into selling her old boots to off-set the cost of a new pair at Play It Again Sports. It might be the best way to go for us but I'm also going to explore some other (new to us) options. MaineToday's Marketplace and Maine's craigslist are both local sites so if I find something I like for the right price, I can pick them up and avoid shipping costs. (Can you tell I hate paying for shipping?)

Do you have a favorite place/site to get used gear?

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